-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of two men accused in a Canadian terror plot appeared to criticize the charges against him during a hearing Wednesday in Toronto , saying they were based on imperfect criminal law , not Islam 's holy book .

Chiheb Essegheier , 30 , is accused in what authorities say was an al Qaeda-backed plot to target a passenger train .

He waived the reading of the charges against him during the hearing Wednesday , telling Justice of the Peace Susan Hilton that `` all of these conclusions were based on the criminal code ; it was not the holy book . ''

`` First of all , my comment is the following , because all of those conclusions was taken out based on Criminal Code , and all of us we know that this criminal code is not holy book ; it 's just written by set of creations , and the creations , they 're not perfect , because only the creator is perfect , so if we are basing our judgment ... we can not rely on the conclusions taken out from these judgments , '' he told Hilton .

`` It does n't matter in this court , '' Hilton responded . `` You save that for another court , speak to your counsels , take their advice from there . ''

The suspects planned to target a train crossing from the United States into Canada , according to a U.S. intelligence official and another government official .

It was aimed at the New York-to-Toronto line that runs through Buffalo , another U.S. official said .

Once the explosives went off , two of the officials said , the train would have careered off its tracks , causing major destruction .

Instead , the suspects are behind bars after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced their arrest Monday .

Alleged co-conspirator Raed Jaser is `` in a state of shock and disbelief , '' his lawyer John Norris said after his court appearance . He said his client is a permanent resident in Canada and has lived there for 20 years .

`` He is anxious to see the evidence that the -LRB- government -RRB- says that it has against him , '' Norris said Tuesday .

Both suspects face charges of conspiring `` to murder persons unknown ... for the benefit of , at the direction of , or in association with a terrorist group , '' court records show .

Authorities have not released much detail about the men , including their nationalities or how long they 'd been in Canada , beyond that they were not Canadian citizens .

University of Quebec spokeswoman Julie Martineau said Essegheier has been a doctoral student at the school since 2010 .

He was a student at the National Institute of Scientific Research and was conducting research on nanosensors , which are used primarily for medical treatments or to build other nanoproducts , she said .

The suspects watched `` trains and railways in the greater Toronto area '' and intended to derail a passenger train , said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan .

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. , quoting `` highly placed sources , '' reported that both had been under surveillance for more than a year .

The FBI worked with Canadian authorities during the investigation , White House spokesman Jay Carney said .

The terror plot , which a Canadian police official said on condition of anonymity was n't linked to last week 's deadly Boston Marathon bombings , was in its planning stages and not imminent .

Still , the outlines are reminiscent of those found in a document seized during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan .

The document indicated that al Qaeda members discussed as early as 2010 a plan to derail trains in the United States by placing obstructions on tracks over bridges and in valleys , a law enforcement official told CNN in 2011 . No specific rail system was identified , according to the source .

Authorities believe the suspects received `` direction and guidance '' from elements of al Qaeda in Iran , said James Malizia , assistant commissioner for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police .

There 's no evidence that the Iranian government was involved , he said .

Iran denies that al Qaeda has any presence within its borders .

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told the country 's state-run IRNA news agency that the allegation is `` the most ridiculous thing '' he has ever heard .

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Opinion : Canadians should n't be surprised about alleged terror plot

CNN 's Gloria Borger , Pam Benson , Catherine Shoichet , Jack Maddox , Tim Lister , Wolf Blitzer , Steve Almasy , Paula Newton , Irving Last and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report .

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NEW : Charges not based on Islam 's holy book , terror suspect says

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Chiheb Essegheier , 30 , is accused of planning a terrorist attack

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Raed Jaser , 35 , his suspected accomplice , appeared at a court in Toronto on Tuesday

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The two are accused of plotting to target a U.S.-bound passenger train